"C'mon, quick," Harry said, standing from lunch. "or we won't get decent seats."

I glare at him and George puts his arm around my waist. "Walk you there?" he asks me. "I've got a free block."

I nod at him and say bye to Fred as we follow Harry, Hermione and Ron to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class room. "It'll be fine," George tells me, giving me a quick kiss before leaving me to deal with Moody.

Entering the classroom I see that they took seats at the front of the classroom, So I take a seat next to Neville who was sitting towards the middle of the class.

I throw myself down in the seat and slam my forehead down on the desk as Neville takes his book out. "What is your issue with him?" He asks me. "What he did to Malfoy?"

"Not even close," I reply as his clunking footsteps approach and he enters the classroom.

"You can put those away," he growls as I lift my head. He sits down behind his desk. "Those books. You won't need them."

He takes out a register and begins to call out names. "Black, Taylor."

"Here," I state, annoyed.

"Ah yes," he says, his magical eye staring me down. "You're the one that rescued Mr. Malfoy."

"That would be me," I reply, shortly.

"Taylor, huh?" He asks, still studying me. "I don't recall a Taylor being born into the Black line."

I look at him in confusion. He has to be joking. "That would be," I say slowly. "Because there isn't."

He smirks. "Adara then."

I glare at him and he continues down the attendance sheet. When he's done with roll call he starts talking about curses. "So…do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

Several hands rise in the air and Moody points at Ron. "Er," he says, "my dad told me about one…Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"

"Ah yes," Moody replies. "Your father would know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."

He then stands and takes a glass jar with three spiders out of his desk. He reaches into the

jar and holds one of the spiders out in his palm before stating, "Imperio," and making the spider swing itself through the air like a trapeze artist. When he started making the spider tap dance, the entire class save me and Moody began to laugh.

"Think it's funny do you?" he growls, looking at the class and stopping at me. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you? Total control."

"And why didn't you laugh, Black?"

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Nothing funny about an unforgivable curse."

He nods at me. "Very wise girl. Know another illegal curse?"

"The Cruciatus Curse," I reply softly, feeling Neville tense up beside me. "Pure, torturous pain."

"You sound as if you're speaking from experience," Moody said.

"I am."

He gives me an odd look before casting an enlarging spell on one of the spiders and taking it out of the jar. Moody mutters, "Crucio" and the spider begins to twitch uncontrollably. I bite my bottom lip as I need little help imaging the pain that I used to experience from my grandmother. Moody doesn't remove his wand and I can see Neville's hands clench on the desk. I look quickly to Moody. "Stop it!" I exclaim and Moody also looks to Neville, quickly removing the spell.

As Moody shrinks the spider back down to normal size, I lay my hand over Neville's, who, to my surprise, clasps it in his.

I hardly pay attention during Moody explaining about the killing curse, Avada Kedavra, and instead stare into our clasped hands. Who would have though I'd be holding hands with the son of the aurors that my aunt tortured into insanity.

When the bell rings, Moody holds me and Neville back asking to speak to us. I nod to Hermione, Harry and Ron letting them know that I'll meet back up with them.

He gestures Neville to behind his desk and Neville finally lets go of my hand, nervously walking to Moody. I tune out of their conversation as Moody hands him a book and put my elbows on the desk, resting my face in my hands.

I jump as the door shuts, leaving me and Moody alone. "What do you want?" I ask him irritably.

"Don't like me much?" he sneers. "Do you?"

I glare at him as he walks towards me. "You know I don't have a reason to."

He studies me a bit before grabbing my wrist and looking closely at my arm where several burn scars remain.

I pull my wrist away from him and he looks at me seriously. "What happened to you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"After your father was sent to Azkaban?"

I look at him in confusion. He knows all about this. He has a file about this. Glaring at him, I answer. "I was sent to a Muggle orphanage where I was routinely beat and such for being a freak because of my magic. Grandmother Black took me for a day every so often and increased it as I got older. Remus found out I was having contact with my grandmother and after I killed a muggle boy he took me in. Mind you, he doesn't know I killed anyone to date."

Moody listens to me ramble in silence, taking it all in as if it's the first time he's ever heard it. "Can I go now?"

He nods at me and I quickly leave the classroom heading straight to Snape's office and banging on the door.

"What is it?" he exclaims.

"There's something wrong with Moody," I reply, pacing in front of his desk where he was looking over a lesson plan.

"There are several things wrong with Moody," he replies and I round on him.

"I'm not joking, Sev!" I exclaim. "I swear he's senile. It's as if he's never met me before!"

"Maybe he's turning over a new leaf," he says sarcastically.

I glare at Snape and storm out of his office for the common room where I find Fred and George off in a corner with paper and quill.

"Writing Bagman?" I ask quietly.

Even though I'm quiet they both jump at my voice; that's how engrossed they are in trying to write a letter to Ludo Bagman.

"Merlin you startled us," Fred states, making me smile. As much as the two of them playing on being twins sometimes bothers me I find it adorable when they can answer for each other without a second thought.

George looks at me closely before frowning. "Something's wrong."

Before I can reply there's a tapping at the window, revealing both Hedwig and Onyx. Harry quickly makes his way over to us as I open the window and let the owls in, untying the note from Onyx's foot and looking at the small box attached to it in confusion.

Adara,

I don't have much time to put into this letter as I plan on flying North as soon as I can make arrangements. Harry's probably told you about his scar bothering him and this is only the latest in a series of events that I've been made aware of. Mad Eye's out of retirement, I hear, at Dumbledore's insistence. I'm sure that you know what this means so be careful. Keep your eyes open and watch out for Harry; he needs you by his side, Ady. I will write again as soon as I am safe and able although you could probably get a note to me with little incident if you happen to feel the want or need to write.

I'm not sure when this will get to you, but as I doubt you'll get it on exactly the 11th I'm wishing you both an early and belated birthday. I hope you enjoy your gift.

Take care, Sirius.

I quickly read the note over twice, trying to figure out what bothers me most, him coming north or calling me 'Ady.' I don't know him enough to like the fact he has a pet name for me. I actually wonder if it was a conscious remark on his part or if it slipped. Dementors are back in Azkaban, so he wouldn't have to worry about that, but people are still out looking for him.

I open the box and find a beautiful Sapphire ring inside; my birthstone. I take it out and look at it closely. It's a decent sized stone with small diamonds on each side of it.

"Taylor?"

I jump out of my musings and look at Harry."He'll be fine," I state, biting my lip, still looking down at the ring in my palm.

"It's my fault," Harry says. "If I hadn't have written him…"

Fred and George had been looking at us in confusion so I hand them my note. "He's a grown man, Harry," I say slowly. "He'll do what he wants."

"Well I'm writing him not to come anyway," he states and stalks off to Ron and Hermione.

"You worried?" George asks me, looking up from the note he had just read.

"I'll live," I reply.

"Pretty ring," Fred says, leaning over to look in my palm. "Any plans for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" I ask him.

"Yeah," he replies slowly. "You know…your birthday."

I shrug at him. "I really hadn't though of it.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Hi honey."

I cringe as George sits down beside me at breakfast. "Honey?" I ask him. "Are pet names really necessary?"

He smiles at me as he leans down to kiss me. "Happy birthday," he says putting a golden box in my hand.

Raising an eyebrow at him, I slowly open the box and smile at the silver bracelet inside.

"You like it?"

"Love it," I reply as he puts it around my wrist and clasps it.

Fred slams down a box in front of me and I roll me eyes at him as I open the potions book. "Thanks Freddy," I say with a smirk.

"One more to add to your grotesque library."

I lean across the table and ruffle his hair, making him glare at me.

"Um, Taylor?"

I look at Colin Creevey in confusion as he walks up to me; a nervous expression on his face.

"Yeah squirt?"

He smiles at me and walks closer. "I um, I know it's your birthday and I- I have some pictures that I've taken, and I thought you might like them." He holds the box towards me and I take it from his slowly, lifting the lid and looking inside at the dozens of photographs inside the box, the first being of me Fred and George. I close the lid back down and place it on the table, turning back to Colin and extending my hand to him.

Colin takes my hand in surprise.

"Thank you," I tell him. "That was really decent of you."

He shrugs and rushes off to go sit with his younger brother who sends me a large smile from down the table. I send him a small wave and he almost falls of the bench waving back at me.

"So did Hermione get you a book as well?" Fred asks.

I nod at him. "Yeah, a Charms one and Ron and Harry got me a Transfiguration book."

Fred shakes his head at me. "What on earth do you need with so many books?"

"It's called reading," I say with a smile as a loud rustling signifies post and two owls land in front of me.

"Lupin?" Fred asks me, looking at Onyx.

"And Dora," I reply, untying the notes along with the two packages.

"Dora?"

"Tonks," I reply. "You both met her."

I unwrap Tonk's annual embossed journal and the open Remy's in confusion.

"What's that?"

"A kid's book," I reply, looking at the old child story book. "It's Muggle. Dr. Seuss?"

Hermione leans across the table. "Oh! I love that book. 'Oh, The Places You'll Go.' Who gave you that?"

"Remus," I reply, reading his note that explained how he found the book in an old box in the attic. Apparently it had belonged to him when he was a child and it reminded him of me.

"Room for one more?"

I smile at Toph as he leans down to place a kiss on my cheek, winking at George as he stands back up.

"What's this?" I ask as he hands me a wrapped gift.

He rolls his eyes at me. "Just open it."

I do as he tells me and look up at him.

"Dead Poet's Society," he states, gesturing to the movie in my hand. "Dad recommended it to me and after watching it I thought that you would really like it. It seems like something you'd like. "

"Thank you," I say with a smile.

He nods and then looks quickly to George before pulling another gift and note out of his robe pocket. "Um…Oli sent this to me to give to you."

He hands them to me and then gives me a last kiss on the forehead before walking to the Ravenclaw table and sitting down by himself at the end. I look at George before tucking them in my robe pocket and shrinking the rest of the gifts to fit inside as well.

"You're not opening it now?" Fred asks me.

I shake my head as the bell rings for class. "No time."